


Broken Blades

by AxiomAutomata



Category: NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Fighting, Gen, Route C, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-03-14 15:13:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13592751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AxiomAutomata/pseuds/AxiomAutomata
Summary: What if 9S never got his arm blown off after the clone fight?What if 9S never got infected with the logic virus?What if A2 saved him in the nick of time?





	1. Into Darkness

_ 2B models?! _

9S gapes around him, his thought circuits completely frozen.

_ This can’t be… _

He gasps, mirthless, bitter laughter slipping out of him.

“I’m so glad…I’m so glad I got to see you here again…”

He reaches up, grasping his blindfold and pulling it down to his neck. He can feel the cloth scratch at his skin, and the scanner tears the blindfold away from his neck, tossing it on the ground.

“I’m going to destroy you… _ every last one of you! _ ”

9S roars into the darkness, his voice guttural, his thoughts vanishing in a blur. Howling, he raises his blade and charges, slashing at the androids in front of him.

__ I won’t let anyone get near 2B, no matter what.  
_ I won’t let anyone steal 2B away from me.  
_ __ I won’t let anyone…I won’t let anyone use her like this!

9S hisses as he feels cold metal bite into his skin, and he spins around, parrying a silver blade with his own gold one. The clanging of steel and the shouts of battle ring in his ears, a cacophony of sound that only makes him want to scream all the louder.

He falls into a fury, whipping his sword through the air and howling like a beast as the rage of battle consumes him.

Finally, he hears the last one fall, and sinks to his knees, breathing heavily.

_ That should be the last…of these damn clones… _

He turns as he hears one rise up again, and he heaves, driving his sword into its chest.

_ I won’t let you — _

A beep snaps him out of his thoughts, and he recoils in horror as he realizes what’s about to happen.

_A bomb?!_

_ “9S!!” _

The shout rings across the room, but before 9S can register it, he feels a sharp impact, and everything goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that this beginning chapter is so short. I promise I'll have more coming soon!


	2. Vague Hope

9S stirs, feeling himself slowly come to.

_Urgh…_

He tries to roll over, only to find himself pinned to the ground.

_Damn…Must’ve been the rubble from that explosion…_

Faintly, his audio processors pick up a voice from on top of him.

“Hell…that fricking hurt…”

_Huh?_

9S closes his eyes, trying to block out the ringing in his ears. The voice sounds familiar, yet…

“2B?”

The name slips out through his delirium, even though he knows it cannot be true. Despite this, 9S calls out again, his voice a hoarse whisper, confused, yet tinged with hope.

“2B? Is that really you?”

He coughs as the source of the burden slowly peels itself off of him. The voice comes again, more urgent.

“9S! Are you alright?!”

Ignoring his pounding head, 9S slowly sits up, surprised to find both his arms still intact. “Yeah, I am…Why ask —”

He looks up at the source of the voice, and his blood freezes.

_“A2?!”_

The woman sighs in relief, and 9S blinks, surprised, even as familiar rage begins to simmer.

“Yeah, it’s me.” A2’s voice is quiet as she holds out her hand. 9S gazes up at her, unsure of what to do. He hesitantly takes it, and she gently helps him to his feet.

_A2…_

“Why did you come here?” His voice echoes across the vast room, hollow, yet with an unmistakable edge. The scanner eyes her suspiciously, hand creeping towards his sword.

A2 only sighs heavily. “I came here to find you.”

9S’ gaze hardens into an icy glare. “Why? So you could kill me?”

The attacker only shakes her head, holding out her white sword. “I…I think we really need to talk.

_2B’s sword…_

Caught off guard, 9S stares at it wistfully. For a moment, everything else melts away as memories of _her_ flood his mind.

 _Our memories…  
_ _All the time 2B and I spent together…_

The scanner snaps himself out of his trance as his eyes rise to A2’s face.

_And now I’m standing in front of the person who took her away from me!_

His hand falls to the hilt of his own katana, and he feels his fingers close around it in an iron grip.

“Why should I trust anything you say?” His voice rises, anger creeping into his tone. “Why, after you’ve killed her?”

A2 levels her gaze on him, her voice quiet and calm. “I didn’t want to do it…I tried to save her, in any way I could.”

_Liar! If you tried to save her, you wouldn’t have driven her own sword into her chest!_

9S turns away, unable to bear meeting her gaze. Her voice, her _patience_ , infuriates him, and the scanner can feel heat course through his circuits.

“What makes you think I would believe you?” He whips his head back around, spitting out the words. “Do you really think I’m that dumb as to fall for another one of your tricks?”

A2 gestures with the sword in response, holding it out as if in offering. “Look at her memories for yourself if you don't believe me. She left them in her sword, at least that's what she told me.”

9S shakes his head, his body trembling. “You’re lying. You’re just using 2B against me just so I’ll shut up, aren’t you?!” Before A2 can respond, he draws his sword and assumes a battle stance, his eyes blazing. “You’re just as bad as everyone else. No, worse, because _you murdered her!_ ”

To his surprise, A2 backs up, holding up her hands warily. “I'm not lying. I know I've done a lot of bad things, and I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but I'd never lie to you. You of all people.” They lock eyes, and she seems to almost plead with him. “Please, I need you to listen to me. I don't want to fight you.”

9S continues to glare at her, yet his gaze grows heavy with conflicting emotion.

_If she really is telling the truth…_

Finally, he slowly lowers his sword, never taking his eyes off of her.

“Fine. If you really say so.”

After a long moment, he drops his gaze to the katana in A2’s hands. “If what you say is true, then give the sword to me.”

A2 nods, setting the sword in on the ground front of him before backing away from it. “Take it. She'd have wanted you to have it anyways.”

9S keels down, running his fingers over the silver blade. He reverently picks up the sword, feeling its weight in his hands, and closes his eyes. Slowly, his consciousness reaches out, seeping into the blade, and before he knows it, he finds himself in a familiar pure white void.

_Hacking space…_

 

* * *

 

He raises his head and gapes as he comes face to face with holograms floating around him.

_These are…_

9S stares around at the holograms, his eyes wide.

_2B’s memories…of us…_

The scanner grits his teeth as he feels his chest tighten.

_All this data…these memories…she entrusted them to A2…_

Out of the void, a familiar voice reaches him.

_“Nines…”_

9S startles, looking around in shock.

_2B?!_

He whirls around in confusion, coming to face to face with a hologram of 2B’s face, her expression twisted in pain and exhaustion.  
  
_2B…_

9S slowly walks up to the hologram, reaching out to touch it. 2B raises her head and speaks again, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

_“Nines…I really hope this works and that you can see and hear all of this. I don't have much time left…”_

Her voice trails off as she grimaces in pain, closing her eyes. 9S gazes up at her in worry, then startles as her voice begins again, growing ragged amidst her labored breathing.

_“The logic virus has nearly completely taken me over. My time's up…”_

_Logic virus?! But how? I thought I…_

9S’ thoughts cut off as 2B’s eyes open again. He stares, clapping one hand over his mouth in shock.

_Her eyes…are…_

_“I asked A2 to put me down and to take care of you…”_

2B begins to cry, her voice cracking further as tears start to trickle down her face.

_“I'll miss you so much, Nines…All of the times we spent together…they were like memories of pure light…”_

She closes her eyes, choking back a sob.

_“Thank you…Nine…s…”_

9S squeezes his eyes shut, tears leaking out from behind his closed eyelids. He opens his eyes and looks up at 2B, her eyes closed and her lips curved in a serene smile, despite the tears streaming down her face.

_Oh…2B…_

He begins to sob, everything fading away into white noise and light around him.

_I’m sorry…I didn’t get to you in time…I could’ve done something…_

 

* * *

 

9S faintly hears the hollow clatter of the sword as it hits the ground, snapping him out of his reverie. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees A2 watching him quietly in concern.

“You…”

The scanner glances at her for a split second, then turns away. After a long moment, he slowly turns to face her again, wiping the tears from his eyes. A2 shifts her weight and frowns, her expression lined with worry.

“9S…I'm so sorry…" She bows her head, her voice growing quiet. "I can't apologize enough for what I did…for putting you through this…”

9S doesn’t respond; instead slowly crouching down to pick up the blade again and cradling it quietly to his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees A2 hesitantly take a step forward, slowly extending her hand out to him.

“Please…Let me help you…?”

The scanner raises his eyes at the sound of her voice, and rises again, stepping towards her. A2 freezes, watching him with a mixture of concern and wariness.

9S lowers his arms to his sides, the white katana hanging loosely in his grip. He reaches out slowly with his other hand, lightly touching A2’s shoulder, and the latter flinches.

_Don’t worry…_

The scanner closes his eyes and pulls A2 into an awkward hug, slowly wrapping his arms around her as fresh tears well up behind his eyelids. A moment later, he feels a warmth as she gently returns the embrace, holding him close.

The two embrace for a long moment, each lost in their own thoughts, yet filled with a quiet sense of peace.


	3. Cruel Revelation

They hold each other, a fragile peace hanging in the air.

There is a gentleness, a small glimmer of hope that neither thought would have existed.

They hesitantly relax in each other’s arms, giving in to the warmth washing over them.

 

* * *

 

As the two pull away, an uncertainty still lingers, each wondering if what had transpired was real. Yet they both feel a little lighter, as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders.

9S looks down at the ground, then back up at A2 again, at a loss of words.

“I…”

He turns to gaze out at the massive pillars of the Tower, veiled in shafts of brilliant sunlight.

“Are you alright?” A2’s voice reaches his ears, quiet, but filled with concern.

“I don’t know…”

9S closes his eyes, feeling a heaviness in his chest. He begins walking away, heading further into the Tower.

“Hey…9S?”

9S stops at the sound of A2’s voice. “Yeah…?”

A2 pauses for a moment, then continues. “If you ever need anything…you can come to me, okay?”

“…Alright.” 9S nods, their eyes locking. They hold each other’s gazes, pensive and heavy with unspoken thoughts. Finally, he turns and walks away, footsteps echoing hollowly in the vast space.

 

* * *

 

9S gazes at the massive spires soaring above him, shielding his eyes from the sunlight. The emptiness of the Tower stretches out all around him, the eerie silence ringing hollowly in his ears as he plods forward, lost in his own thoughts.

“Is unit 9S alright?”

9S continues walking, barely aware of the voice floating over to him. “Hm?”

He stops when he feels a light touch on his shoulder. Raising his head, he finds 153 floating directly in front of him. She tilts her body to the side, her voice clearly concerned. “Is unit 9S alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” 9S responds, his voice dull. He takes a step forward, but 153 places up a shield to block his movement, shaking her head lightly. “Unit 9S does not sound alright.”

9S curls his hand into a fist and clenches his jaw. “I’m fine, okay? Please stop asking.”

To his surprise, 153 droops, her arms hanging by her side and her body dipping towards the ground. “Is there anything this unit can do?”

The scanner gazes past her silently, unable to answer. His Pod quietly lowers the shield, then floats closer to him, wrapping her small arms around his body in a sort of embrace.

9S looks down at her, stunned. “Pod…”

153 doesn’t respond, instead nuzzling against him comfortingly. 9S gazes at her before hesitantly returning the embrace. For a long moment they hold each other, feeling the whole world slip away, as if they are floating in a white void.

Finally, they part, 153 returning to 9S’ side as the two continue further into the Tower. Even through the silence stretching around them, they both feel calmer, a little more at ease.

 

* * *

 

_How long has it been?_

_15 minutes? An hour? Three hours?_ _  
_ _I’m losing track of time…_

Wandering through pure white monotony, gazing up at the towering pillars above.

The surreality of it all causes everything else to slip away.

Soon, all that is left is this silent space, this never-ending vastness.

His footsteps echo and fade, and the humming of his Pod’s flight becomes a drone.

_Is this what loneliness feels like?_

He faintly becomes aware of the light slowly slipping away, the blinding white of the Tower’s walls becoming more subdued.

Then, he sees two floating holograms in front of him.

_These girls in red…_

Their voices bore into his mind, making his teeth clatter. They fluctuate, simultaneously high and low, yet always mocking.

“YoRHa unit 9S.”  
“YoRHa unit 9S.”

9S clenches a fist as the voices rumble through him, feeling heat rush up into his face. Yet the girls grin at him, cruel, twisted smiles. The scanner glares up at them, eyes filled with hatred.

_These goddamn machines…!!_

The scanner squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the unsettling drone. He growls, seething with rage as they welcome him, as they tell him of the _special_ thing they promised to show him.

 _This_ **_special_ ** _thing you have in mind…it’s another one of your twisted jokes, isn’t it? Another one of your cruel games?_

The scanner is startled out of his thoughts by a metallic _clank_ behind him. Turning, he sees an army of machines gathered on the platform, a sea of burning red eyes.

_I’ll destroy you all…I’ll destroy you all!!_

9S charges the machines, swinging his blade and screaming with all his might, as if his cries would drown out the humming in his mind. He cleaves through the ranks, metal screeching against metal, sparks flying and the acrid smell of smoke filling the air as enemies explode all around him.

Finally, the air falls silent, scrap metal lying all around him and the scent of death lingering. Slowly, 9S turns to the floating holograms, who still float serenely in the air.

“You did it.”

9S grips his sword tighter, wincing as their voices invade his mind once again.

“Now we’ll show you what we promised.”

The scanner gasps, clutching his head as pain sears through him, their words fire against his circuits.

_Gah…Get out of my head, goddamnit!_

Slowly, the pain subsides, their voices fading to eerie silence once again. As 9S slowly raises his head, he notices something in front of him.

_This data…_

He slowly walks up to it, staring at the data intently. He blinks in shock, feeling his stomach drop and the blood in his veins freeze.

“So this is Project YoRHa…”

His hand clenches into a fist, and 9S trembles, his vision blurring into a haze in front of him.

“This means all of us…2B…”

The voices return, the pain wiping out all other sense of rationality.

 _Shut up, shut up,_ **_SHUT UP!!!_ **

All he hears is his own screams, the drone suddenly cutting out as he tears his blade through the holograms, which vanish in a flash of light.

He stands alone, exhausted, in the fading echoes of his own voice.


	4. Unsettling Secrets

A2 gazes after 9S’ retreating figure, his footsteps fading as he vanishes into the light of the Tower.

_I hope he’ll be alright out there…_

She sighs softly, her gaze flitting between the silvery pillars as a sedateness overcomes her, filling the emptiness and seeping through her body. Even as she steps forward, the attacker feels lethargic, as if she is in a dream.

“Query: Is unit A2 alright?” 042’s voice slices through the heavy air, rousing A2 from her stupor. Raising her head, she blinks and shakes herself off, turning to the gray Pod hovering beside her. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The android wanders further into the massive structure, taking in the surreal landscape.

_Such a strange, beautiful place…_

She gazes around, her mind drifting.

_Who knew the machines could build such a thing?_

After what feels like an eternity, A2 finds herself in front of two doors. She blinks, then slowly pushes it open. What lies beyond takes her breath away.

Rows upon rows of books stacked on shelves, all in pure white. A2 walks through the room slowly, the sheer amount of data nearly overwhelming her.

“What is this place?” She raises her gaze to the ceiling, where an elegant chandelier hangs, the same pure white as the rest of the room.

“This is a library.” 042 floats up behind her, also taking in the view. “It is a place where data is collected and organized.”

A2 nods thoughtfully as she begins perusing the shelves. “I see.”

Across the room, a glowing book catches her eye. She walks over to it, looking at it curiously. “Seems we need to hack in to access the data, huh?” A2 glances behind her at 042. “Help me out, Pod.”

“Affirmative.” The Pod’s reply comes crisp and clear. “Hacking interface rights granted to unit A2.”

A2 smirks. “Peachy.”

She lays her hand on the book, and everything falls away around her.

 

* * *

 

_So this is what hacking space looks like._

A2 stares at her cursor, then looks around. Amidst the field of black blocks, are four of them that seem to be larger than the others.

_These must be the locks. Looks like I’m going to have to destroy them to reach the core._

She begins to shoot, white bullets piercing the space and carving a path through. Soon, she arrives at the first block, which stands out from the others. With a few bullets, it disappears.

_One down, three to go._

A2 moves on, cleaving through the space and destroying the rest of the blocks. Soon, she hears the sound of something shattering, and knows that the barrier surrounding the core has broken. The attacker smirks, surprised as to how easy it was.

_Alright…Let’s see what data this book contains._

She pulls out of the hacking space, her cursor deconstructing, and studies the data as it appears in front of her.

_This must be the library’s index…_

“This Tower looks like a data-gathering system for the machines.” A2 steps back and gazes around the library again, noticing a set of stairs to her right. She follows them up, spotting another glowing book on the far side of the room as she emerges at the top. “Another one, huh? Let’s go check it out.”

As she nears it, she sees it has the same barrier that the previous one had.

_Let’s hope this one contains something useful._

She reaches out and touches it, entering hacking space once again.

 

* * *

 

_Why do some books have locks on their data like this?_

A2 gazes around the field, quickly identifying the locks she needed to destroy.

_Guess there’s no use in worrying about that. Let’s get this over with._

The attacker hacks through the locks, destroying them and exposing the core. As she moves to destroy it, fragments of data appear, words floating in front of her.

_What’s all this?_

Slowly, more words form from the void, and before she knows it, she finds herself at the core. As she shatters it, the rest of the data reveals itself. She glances over it, looking for anything noteworthy.

_Moon server records…?_

“These records are from the human server on the moon…” A2 stares over them in surprise. “The machines hacked that deep into the system, huh?” The android turns and looks over at the other side, where she sees yet another glowing book.

_One more, huh…_

Walking over to the shelf, she reaches out and touches it, closing her eyes as she feels herself being pulled into hacking space once more.

 

* * *

 

After a few minutes, A2 pulls out of the space, gazing at the new data in growing frustration.

“These seem like records of old humans…”

She shakes her head, staring around at the shelves despondently. “Damn! This is all useless. There’s too many.”  Sighing, A2 turns and backtracks down the stairs, emerging on the first floor once again.

_So this Tower is being used as a data collection source by the machines…but what for?_

Then, one last book catches her eye.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Walking over to it, she retrieves it from the shelf.

“‘Operational Summary of Model Number Two in Project YoRHa'…"

She flips the book open, and her eyes widen in shock.

“This data…”

_This…this is my data!_

Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble, and A2 gasps as a large _crash_ sounds from behind her. Whipping her head around, she comes face to face with a huge spherical machine, its single eye glaring at her, full of fury.


	5. Frenzied Flight

9S races up the stairway, his footsteps matching pace with the pounding in his ears. Around him, the deep voices of the red girls echo mockingly, cruelly. 

“We are part of the machine network. Don’t you realize how futile your efforts are? You know we cannot be destroyed.”

"Shut up!"

9S snarls, clenching his jaw as his breath races.

“YoRHa unit 9S. Your attacks are meaningless. Your existence is meaningless.”

"You’re wrong! My life isn’t meaningless!"

His vision blurs, warmth wetting his cheeks as memories of 2B flood his mind.

_As long as I have those who love me, my life isn’t meaningless!_

He runs faster, even as his legs scream at him, his lungs searing fire.

“Shut up!!”

9S bellows, his voice tearing through the air. As he arrives at the top of the stairs, the scanner glances up, his breathing labored.

_Corrupted flight units, huh?_

He brandishes his sword, eyes wild.

“Keep ‘em coming. I’ll just destroy them.”

A unit charges him, and he leaps out of the way, swinging his katana heavily.

“I’ll destroy them all… _and this Tower!_ ”

_And even if this is all pointless, it doesn't matter! I'll just destroy all of it!_

His breath comes in short pants, gasps of laughter as his eyes glaze over, the battle becoming a frenzied dance of wild, erratic movement. The scanner frantically hacks and slashes the air, feeling everything else fade away into smoke. His eyes sting as the acrid odor fills his nose.

Suddenly, his auditory sensors alert him to the grinding of steel against titanium and he looks up, finding himself face to face with a flight unit. 9S lets loose a snarl, even as he feels his throat would tear in two, and pushes back with all his might.

“I’m going to destroy all of you! All of you, you hear me?!”

Roaring, he throws his weight forward, pushing his enemy back. Before it can react, he hacks into it, deftly navigating through its systems and overloading its core.

_One down, five to go!_

The unit in front of him explodes in a _boom_ and a flash of blinding light, scattering shrapnel and molten metal everywhere. 9S leaps back to avoid the shower of debris, swiveling around to confront another unit, sapphire eyes blazing.

"I don’t care how long it takes…I’ll take every single one of you bastards down!"

The second unit unlocks a long blade from behind its arm and charges, filling the air with a grating whine. 9S stands his ground, his nostrils flaring and his eyes trained on its arm.

_Come at me, you bastard!_

A guttural scream tears from his lungs as he rams his sword into his enemy’s blade, digging his heels in with every bit of his strength. Straining, the scanner pushes forward, feeling his arms shake as he struggles to push the opposing force back. However, the pressure is too great, and the enemy YoRHa unit sends him skidding back across the floor.

_Damnit!_

9S holds out his hand, hurling his consciousness towards the incoming flight unit even as another rounds up on him. He struggles to focus through the static creeping into his field of vision, drowning out all other sound.

_Come on…almost there!_

Finally, he feels his consciousness connect, followed by the familiar sensation of being pulled in. Gliding like an eagle, he weaves through the machine’s circuits, his cursor twisting and turning through the narrow passages, all the while deftly avoiding the attack barriers that hunt him.

“No matter how much you send after me, I will destroy you all!”

As he pulls out of the hacking space, he slices at another one, cleaving its wing clean off.

“None of you goddamn machines will stand in my way! Nothing will!”

The scanner spits out the words, his voice dripping with venom, his vision red with unbridled fury. Letting loose a roar, he hurls his katana through the air like a javelin, landing it square in the cockpit.

_Looks like that’s all of them…_

9S’ thoughts are cut short as he hears a whir behind him. Whirling around, he brings his sword up just as he feels something connect with him, knocking him flying.

“Agh!”

His vision glitches as his head slams into the cold stone floor of the platform, the impact knocking the wind out of him. The scanner squeezes his eyes shut as dizziness courses through his systems, his breath coming in sharp, ragged coughs. The whining above him grows louder, and the metallic black form of the flight unit looms above his visual fields.

_Damnit…I have to get back up!_

9S raises his throbbing head, wincing as needles of pain pierce him relentlessly. He coughs again, and his taste receptors pick up the metallic tang of blood.

_I can’t give up…I have to keep fighting!_

Though it takes all of his strength, the scanner manages to pull himself to his knees, where he stays, panting heavily. Raising his gaze, he drives his sword into the ground, using it as a cane to steady himself as he unsteadily rises to his feet. In front of him, the flight unit hovers patiently, almost as if waiting for him to regain his bearings.

"Why are you waiting for me like this? Don’t you know I’m going to kill you?!"

9S yanks his blade out of the ground, assuming a wide stance as he points it at his foe. It charges him, the low whine of the engines crescendoing into an ear-splitting roar. The scanner launches himself forward, raising his blade high and letting loose an echoing cry as his eyes flare with renewed fury. The two clash, sparks flying between them as each again tries to push the other back. Finally, 9S succeeds, throwing the flight unit off balance before following up with a vicious series of strikes.

"Get out of my way!"

The final strike sends the flight unit back even further, and 9S hears the whir of it shutting down. He walks over to it, tearing out the dead pilot, before stepping in. Grasping the controls, he hears the familiar rev of the engine.

_I’m going to destroy this Tower…and no one’s going to stop me!_

The flight unit rises up, and 9S steers it off the platform, racing off into the void beyond.

 

* * *

 

As 9S soars up the Tower, he quickly becomes aware of the machines trailing him.

"More of them?!"

The air rings with gatling rounds as he engages his enemies, the already cloudy air becoming further obscured by the smoke from the flight unit’s guns.

"I’ll kill you…I’ll kill you all!"

9S’ eyes sting and water from the smoke, and he squeezes them shut tight. Yet the scanner continues to fire in a blind rage, no longer bothering to aim. He feels the flight unit jolt and hears a sharp rattle as a particularly strong bullet hits, and it takes all he has not to spiral out of control.

_Damnit! At this rate —_

Then, another much louder sound drowns out the sound of the flight unit. The scanner gasps in surprise, his eyes snapping open just in time to see a large black, spherical machine fly up in front of him.

_What the hell?!_

The strange machine turns to face him, its singular eye blazing with a fury not unlike his own.

"It doesn’t matter who you are. I’m taking you down too!"

9S charges up a barrage of missiles, as the machine in front of him gathers energy into its cannon.

The air hangs tense, the thrum of pulsing energy the only synergy between them.


	6. Twisted Blossom

A2 gapes up at the spherical machine towering over her. “What is this thing?!”

She barely has time to say anything more before two massive black blades slam into the ground on either side of her, forcing her to jump out of the way.  _Damnit! This_   _one’s fast!_

A2 winces, shaking her head as she glares warily at her opponent. The air around her shakes with a bizarre sound as the machine watched, its red eye glinting with a cruel amusement.

_Is it…laughing?_

A2 grits her teeth, clenching her katana tighter. Her pulse thunders faster in her ears as waves of heat run through her body, her muscles tensing like springs. The attacker lets out a bellow and charges forward, raising her blade high. 

Pushing herself off the now cracked floor, she soars into the air, drawing her sword across in a slashing motion. The crimson light of her opponent’s eye fills her field of vision as the blade bounces off its round body with a hollow  _clang_ , sending her flying back across the room.

_What in the world **is**  this thing?!_

The thunderous laughter continues to pound her auditory sensors, drowning out all other sounds. Forcing herself to her feet, the attacker rushes it again, aiming this time for its spider-like legs. This time, her blade connects. Bright sparks fly from the clashing metal as A2 throws her entire weight on the strike. 

_“YoRHa No. 2…”_

A2 blinks in shock as a deep voice resounds inside her head, her eyes scanning the room wildly. “What was that?!”

_“YoRHa No. 2…Or shall we call you A2 now?”_

Her head buzzes, the flickering voice blooming inside of her mind like some twisted rose; its needles pricking her mind. A2 grits her teeth, drawing in a sharp breath. “What the hell is this?! Who are you?!”

 _“It’s such a pleasure to see you again. We were hoping that we would meet once more.”_  The intruder winds itself around her like a snake, slowly constricting, tightening around her head.

“Get out of my head!” The attacker tries to scream above the pulsing drone as it bores its way deeper into her, scrambling her thoughts. The strength drains from her legs, but she forces herself to stand her ground. Then, A2 feels the sharp impact of steel against her body, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying.

A2 collides against the ground, gasping for breath once she finally feels herself stop rolling. She struggles to her knees, getting no respite from the piercing agony of her muscles. The vice steadily tightens, gripping her with an inhuman strength.

“I won’t let you stop me!”

The attacker whips her head back and forth forcefully, as if the movement would shake their hold on her. Yet the effort seems to only tighten the bind. 

The machine glides towards her with an alarming quickness, its legs gliding across along the floor.

“Pod!” A2 throws out her hand, and 042 immediately flies in front of her, firing a beam of golden light straight towards the enemy’s eye. The machine lets out a piercing howl as it stumbles back, metal clattering against stone. 

 _“You have such a tenacious spirit. Just like the first time we met.”_  The voice carries a hint of admiration, adding to its mocking tone. _“Admirable, yet oh so foolish.”_  

A2 whimpers, clenching her teeth so hard they might shatter. Her vision blurs as she grips her sword even tighter.

 _“Shut up!!”_  The attacker screams, feeling her voice crack. She coughs as her breath catches, ragged and heavy.

Chuckles reverberate in every direction, burning away all other thoughts with white-hot spears. A2 squeezes her eyes shut, biting back a scream even as tears leaked through her eyelids. Her face twists into a grimace; she can taste the copper building in her mouth.

_Shit! What the hell is this?!_

She grips both sides of her head, howling from the limb-splitting pain.

 _“GET THE HELL OUT!”_ A2 screams with all her might. Blood flies from her mouth, staining white tile with shocking crimson. She slams her hands down, feeling shockwaves ripple through arms at the impact. 

 _“Oh, resisting, aren’t we? So much like you.”_ There is an edge of quiet anger that makes her shiver, despite the fire.  _“But don’t you think you want to hear what we have to say?”_

“I don’t want to hear any of your bullshit!” A2 shakes her head violently, nearly slamming it against the stone.

_“So you are going to make this difficult for us? In that case…What about that boy you saved?”_

“Who? What’re you talking about?” A2 stops thrashing and raises her head.

 _Could they be talking about 9S?_  

 _“Indeed, we are.”_  The pain recedes some, and A2 blinks as her vision clears.  _“Are you certain you wish to see him suffer after all you did to save him?”_  

The attacker steadies her breathing as her thoughts slowly return to focus.  _They’re still going to hurt 9S? After all he’s been through?_

“Don’t you dare!” She growls, rage lacing her words. “You…you bastards!”

_“So you really do care for the boy, hm?”_

“I do! And I won’t let you hurt him!” 

There is a momentary pause, as if the intruders were caught off guard by her words. Then it comes again, sneering, barely contained venom seeping through her thoughts.

 _“If you really wish to save your precious boy, so be it. But rest assured you will not come out of this unscathed.”_  

With that, the voice vanishes, and A2 feels the grip on her head loosen and fade. 

A clank causes her to jump, whipping her head around. The large machine leaps up, vanishing back through the hole whence it came.

_Finally, that bastard’s gone…_

Slowly, A2 pulls herself up, driving her katana into the ground as support. She stands shakily, gritting her teeth as she gazes around at the now wrecked library, books scattered amongst the rubble.

She wearily shakes her head once more, finally dispelling the rest of the fog. She winces as the memory of the pain in 9S’s eyes returns to her.

 _I can’t let them hurt 9S anymore._  

“What do you suggest we do, Pod?” The memory of their embrace follows, and she smiles softly despite herself. 

042 swivels towards her, hovering close. “Proposal: Head through the doors.” 

 _Just as I thought._  “Well, this better not be a trap.”  _But considering who they are, this might very well be._

A2 sighs and walks towards the doors, stepping carefully over the rubble blocking her way. As she nears them, they seem to react to her presence, swinging open before she even reaches them.

_Looks like they really want me to see what’s beyond these doors, huh?_

She hesitantly steps through, feeling a knot of uneasiness in her stomach. Beyond the doors is a void, only punctuated by an occasional breeze.

 _Quiet, like always…_  

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a raised panel. She walks over to it, her footsteps echoing and bouncing off of the walls.

“What could this be for?” She says it half to herself, half to her Pod. In response, 042 makes a shrugging gesture, though A2 cannot see it. “Hypothesis: This platform is an elevator of some sort.”

“An elevator, huh?” A2 stares down at the panel. “I guess you  _are_  good for something, Pod.” She reaches out, placing her hand on it. “Alright, here goes nothing.”

The panel grows warm at her touch, glowing with a soft light. There is a rumble as the platform rises into the air, then begins to move. 

“So this  _is_  an elevator.” A2 glances around the space curiously. “I wonder where it’ll take us…”

“Hypothesis: It leads to the top of the Tower,” 042 intones.

A clank cuts off her response. Whirling around, she comes face to face with the machine she battled in the library.

“That thing’s still kicking?!” A2 draws her sword, slipping into a battle stance as she stares it down. The machine creaks, growling broken, fragmented phrases as it begins its assault.

“What’s it going on about?” The attacker leaps out of the way of several shimmering red bullets, shivering lightly at the crackle of electricity. Her opponent sweeps its arms together, attempting to pin her between them, but she flips out of the way.

“Analysis: It is accessing data from the old world.” 042 fires gatling rounds at the machine, temporarily stunning it.

Suddenly, a group of machines swarm the platform, their eyes burning crimson. 

“More of them?” A2 sighs in exasperation. “So I guess they’ll just keep showing up until I kill this thing, huh?”

A small stubby charged her, swinging twin axes. A2 blocks, throwing her weight into the strike. She easily overpowers the enemy, before cleaving it in two with one stroke.

 _I’ll destroy you all, no matter what it takes!_  

She falls into a familiar dance, weaving in and out of enemy blows and striking back with her own. The machines crumble under her blade, and soon all that remains is the titan in front of her.

 _Let’s take you down, once and for all!_  

Swinging her blade in a wide arc, A2 charges it once again, sunlight glinting off of the silver edge. The machine slams its arms onto the platform, creating a shockwave that she effortlessly jumps over. With a shout, she drives her blade into its body, sparks flying as they clash.

Suddenly, the platform jolts violently, nearly throwing A2 off of her feet.

“Whoa!” She staggers, struggling to retain her balance. “What the hell?!”

A2 watches as the spherical machine loses its grip, falling off the platform into the depths below.

 _What was that…?_  

Her eyes scan the platform, expecting new enemies to leap out from the clouds. But none come, and after a few moments, she allows herself to relax.

 _Finally, a respite…_  

The attacker’s breath catches as the pain returns, and she sits down on the cold platform. The burning of her wounds ease somewhat, and she lets out a sigh.

_9S…I hope you're alright, wherever you are._

042 hovers close, almost seeming to nuzzle her, and she gently leans her head on his.

Together, they quietly watch the pillars fly by, riding in a tentative peace.


	7. Deadly Dance

9S trains his guns on the machines around him, cleaving through red-violet bullets with a hail of golden arrows. The air grows thick with smoke, gatling rounds thundering through the fog.

_I won’t let you get in my way!_

The white goliath in front of him returns fire, a similar storm of gold clashing against his. The bullets ricochet off of his flight unit, peppering the air with _dings_.

Unlocking the blade from his right arm, the scanner flies up so close he can smell the still-hot smoke from its guns. White-hot sparks fly through the air, burning through the smoke. It slides across the machine’s guns with a _clang_ , followed by a metallic screech that makes 9S clench his teeth.

_“I bElieVeD yOu, I BeliEvEd You, I Be **LIE** veD YoU…”_

The machine’s low, guttural voice thunders through the air, reverberating through 9S’s chest.

9S’s eyes widen as he gapes up at it. _What the hell? What is this thing saying?_

A flash of light blinds his vision sensors, followed by a violent impact, causing the world to spin around him. The machine eyes 9S the whole time, mocking him.

_“BeCoMe a GoD, bEcOMe A gOD, BEcOmE a gOd, WhO hAs BeCOmE?”_

Electricity crackles, azure sparks arcing through the clouds to create tiny thunderstorms.

9S winces as a sharp pain constricts around his head. _Damnit! I let my guard down!_

Through the whirling dizziness, 9S manages to right himself, pulling his flight unit through the sparkling air.

_Gods…what do you know about gods?!_

9S accelerates, the wind whistling past him as he locks onto his target. He fires again, a steady stream of bullets emanating from the flight unit’s twin guns. A whir alerts him to the arrival of yet more machines, red-violet orbs closing in on all sides.

_Even more, huh?_

He turns his flight unit in a barrel roll to dodge the bullets, a black force field surrounding him to shield him from the impact. In retaliation, he unleashes a stream of missiles that all but destroys the summoned enemies.

_Get the hell out!_

His opponent recedes into an even thicker patch of clouds, the mist camouflaging its white body. 9S soars after it, blasting through them with his flight unit’s jets.

_Come on, where’d it go?_

As he soars out of the clouds, he notices it flying into a gap in the Tower’s walls. He follows it, unfolding his flight unit as they touch down in a vast room. His opponent spins in a circle, its legs sliding smoothly across the floor as another round of bullets swirl out from its body.

_Again?!_

9S sweeps out of the machine’s reach, hissing in agitation. He circles it, wincing as a wave of heat rushes through his limbs.

“Alert: Unit 9S is showing signs of emotional distress.” He barely hears 153 intone as he fires again, the heat from the metal burning through his leather gloves. “Proposal: Unit 9S should defeat the enemy as quickly as possible.”

“Can’t you see I’m trying?!” 9S shouts.

The machine abruptly turns and flies out of the floor, resuming its ascent up the Tower.

9S scoffs, spittle flying from between his teeth as he guns towards the escaping machine.

_Get back here!_

He reverts back into flight mode, his flight unit blazing as he catches up to his opponent. Its red eye suddenly flashes, the cold, hard light sending chills down his spine.

_What could it be planning?_

9S grits his teeth, shaking drops of sweat from his face. He pumps out as much fire as the guns will allow him to, aiming straight for the burning red eye. The machine lets out a hoarse shriek as his fire connects, pushing it back.

9S responds with a bellow of his own, unleashing a barrage of missiles. They explode on contact, filling the air with thick, hazy smoke.

_Yes!_

Suddenly, the air crackles, the smoke burning away as a stream of violet bullets cut through.

_Oh crap —_

He wildly barrel rolls, squeezing his eyes shut. The air hisses as the majority of the bullets whoosh harmlessly past him.

_Whew…_

Suddenly, something hits him head-on and agony courses through his body.

“Graaaaaaaaah!”

A scream tears from his throat as his body convulses. Red light floods his vision, already blurring with tears of pain.

After what seems like an eternity, the pain passes, leaving 9S panting heavily. Coughing, he instinctively places a hand to his pounding chest. His mouth feels like sandpaper, and he can barely swallow.

_I have to…keep on fighting…_

“Alert: Unit 9S has sustained electrical damage.” 153’s faint voice reaches him, A warning, yes, but comforting nonetheless amidst through the symphony of blaring alarms. “Immediate maintenance highly recommended to prevent further injury.”

Though lightheadedness creeps into his systems, scrambling his thought processes, 9S forces himself to keep on flying. Orientation proves to be harder than he expected, with the constant warning messages obscuring his vision.

“How much farther until we reach the top?!” 9S yells above the flight unit’s drone.

“Analysis: About 100 meters,” 153 replies

Suddenly, he breaks through the clouds, sunlight hitting his eyes. Blinded, he wildly fires forward, before a sharp _clang_ reaches his ears. Looking down, he sees his enemy crash-land on a large open platform.

_Looks like that’s the top of the Tower._

9S leaps from the flight unit, falling to land on the platform below. Shakily, he rises to his feet, though his knees threaten to buckle under him.

As he raises his head, a jolt passes through him and familiar heat rushes up to his face.

Standing on the other side of the platform is a familiar short-haired woman, a gray Pod hovering beside her.

_A2…_

9S trembles, caught by the emotions washing over him.

_You made it…_

Their eyes meet, simultaneously serene, yet full of conflicting emotion.


End file.
